


Memories and Tomorrows

by midget_boss



Series: One Universe Over [17]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Gen, Memories
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-15
Updated: 2021-01-15
Packaged: 2021-03-13 07:53:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28774884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midget_boss/pseuds/midget_boss
Summary: Aayla and Obi-Wan take a moment to reminisce.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Aayla Secura
Series: One Universe Over [17]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1924129
Comments: 1
Kudos: 39





	Memories and Tomorrows

“They’re adorable,” Aayla cooed as she crouched down to pet the Tookas. Kotep rubbed against her hand and purred flirtatiously. Galaar kept his distance and watched them. “What do their names mean?”

“Kotep means brave,” Obi-Wan answered with a fond smile. “And Galaar means hawk. I’m sure you can guess which one is which.”

“Does he also swoop down from high places?” Aayla asked curiously. “Like Zinger used to?”

Obi-Wan laughed lightly and said, “You know, I had forgotten about Zinger. I don’t actually know. I’m not the one who named him and I’ve never seen him do it, but I’ll have to ask around.”

“Do you remember when Anakin and I snuck him into the Temple?” Aayla asked as she gave the smaller Tooka one last pat. She stood up and grinned impishly. “Grandmaster Yoda was coming down the hall with Master Ranzon.”

“Oh, I remember,” Obi-Wan assured her, returning her grin. “If I recall, I’d just caught the two of you and I was trying to convince you that you needed to take him back when they appeared at the end of the hallway. I believe they were talking about their favorite meals that most people would never willingly touch.”

“And Master Ranzon’s favorite meal happened to be Tooka,” Aayla continued. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone’s face go that white as quickly as Anakin’s did.”

“Then he tore out of there like he was being chased,” Obi-Wan said, shaking his head. “I was very confused at the time because he’d always been more inclined to machinery than animals. More than once I’d gotten a lecture about the nuisance of animals.”

“He did it for me,” Aayla confessed wryly.

“He did it to impress you,” Obi-Wan corrected gently. “It was not as much for your benefit as for his.”

“True,” Aayla conceded. “It was funny because he’d spent the whole walk back to the Temple griping about Zinger and all the hassles that came with him.”

“They harbor parasites,” Obi-Wan said in a high pitched, whiny voice.

“They make a mess when they eat,” Aayla added in the same tone, “and when they go to the bathroom. Sometimes they make a mess just by existing!”

“They’re dirty,” Obi-Wan continued. “And smelly.”

“And they don’t do anything useful,” Aayla chimed in. “Instead, they get in the way.”

“Worst of all,” Obi-Wan started, eyes twinkling.

“They damage droids,” the pair finished together. Aayla laughed softly while Obi-Wan chuckled.

“He never did forgive Zinger for jumping on that hover droid and damaging it,” Obi-Wan admitted.

“Or sleeping in that gutted R unit,” Aayla added.

“That R unit,” Obi-Wan muttered, shaking his head. “Didn’t he blame you for that one?”

“He did more than just blame me,” Aayla recalled wryly. “He set up a prank to ‘get me back’.”

Obi-Wan winced as he rubbed his beard. “Ah yes, that was the incident we don’t refer to, wasn’t it?”

“The one that makes Master Quinlan turn the shade of mud in the second tier garden in the Room of One Thousand Fountains,” Aayla agreed. She grinned again. “I got quite a few favors from that picture alone.”

“I bet,” Obi-Wan murmured ruefully. “Anakin and I both got a lecture from the grandmaster for that one.”

“Between you and me, I think that was the main reason Master Quinlan let it go,” Aayla confessed. “He did not want to be siding with the grandmaster against ‘a bratty little kid’.”

“They’re more alike than either will admit,” Obi-Wan said with a sigh.

“In all the wrong ways,” Aayla agreed ruefully.

“Well, enough about that,” Obi-Wan said after a long moment. “Who knows when we’ll have a little time to ourselves again. Would you join me for meditation? And afterwards, I can introduce you to this lovely new tea the men found for me.”

“Your men found you some tea?” Aayla asked, surprised. “All of my men seem to actively avoid it.”

“Oh, most of them won’t drink it,” Obi-Wan replied with a shrug. “Although a few will. No, they asked around about tea and actually brought me the main three types from the last world we were on. I’m only going to introduce you to the best one. One of them was just too bland, you won’t like it, and the other didn’t taste like anything good.”

“Is that the polite way of saying it tasted like plant waste?” Aayla asked slyly. She grinned smugly when the older master laughed again.

“You’ve found a polite way to echo your master,” Obi-Wan said approvingly. “He’ll hate it. When is he due to be on Coruscant again?”

“I don’t know, but I’ve been trying to find out,” Aayla answered with a sigh. She looked pensive as they walked down the corridor.

“We’ll have to arrange a night to go out,” Obi-Wan announced. “Perhaps I can even drag Anakin and Ahsoka along with me. I must admit, I didn’t think Anakin would be the first between the two of you to have a padawan.”

“Neither did Master Quinlan,” Aayla said with grin. “He’s convinced half the reason Grandmaster Yoda did it was to annoy him.”

“That’s not the reason,” Obi-Wan assured her, “but knowing that will make the grandmaster cackle.”

“I can’t say that I would blame him,” Aayla admitted as she rolled her eyes. “Never mind that I’ve said countless times that now is not a good time for me to take on a padawan.”

“Why do you say that?” Obi-Wan asked.

“There is a path that I would like to explore, after the war,” Aayla replied carefully. “I’ve only got the vague outlines of it right now, but I do not think it would be suitable to take a padawan on. Not until I know more about it, at least.”

“It is wise to consider these things,” Obi-Wan said thoughtfully. “And yet, it is not just about the best timing. Sometimes circumstances are decided by factors outside of our control.”

“Like Ahsoka and Anakin’s partnership?” Aayla suggested wryly.

“Their partnership isn’t the only one,” Obi-Wan assured her ruefully. He pushed aside the memory of Master Qui-Gon and the events surrounding his partnership with Anakin. “The young continue to grow and when they are ready, it is the duty of their elders to continue their training. Sometimes we take on the responsibility before we ourselves feel ready, because neither time nor the young will wait for us.”

“Is that a warning?” Aayla asked after a long moment.

“No,” Obi-Wan assured her. “At least, not about anything the council has spoken about. We do have a new batch of younglings who will be taking their trials here soon, though.”

“Would it help if I’m busy on the far side of the galaxy?” Aayla asked lightly, but she looked thoughtful.

“Distance is likely to matter little,” Obi-Wan told her wryly as stopped to type in a code. “It is, after all, only temporary.” He gave a little bow and gestured for her to proceed him into the viewing room. “I hope this will suffice.”

She laughed softly when she spotted the mat leaning against a cupboard with an electric tea kettle on the counter above. “I take it this is a favorite spot of yours?”

“It is,” Obi-Wan agreed as he walked over to the mat. He handed it to her. “I’ll get the water heating if you want to choose a spot.”

Aayla chose a spot on the far wall, almost in the corner. When he joined her she ducked her head and shrugged. “This just feels right.”

“It does,” Obi-Wan agreed warmly. Two floors down this area overlapped with one of the rec rooms. When they weren’t preparing for missions, men could be found there at any time of the day or night. Most of the time the energy from the room was positive, if not outright happy, and today was no exception. He settled into his favored position and let himself drift, buoyed by Aayla’s familiar presence, his men in a generally cheerful mood, and the unique experience of meditating with another Jedi.


End file.
